Aqualuxe Outfitting interior designer Cris Clifford, her assistant Jayne McManus and Alene Keenan, the Yacht Stew Guru, author of The Yacht Guru’s Bible and Interior course instructor at Maritime Professional Training were accompanied by our honored guest, Julie Perry, author of "The Insider's Guide to Becoming a Yacht Stewardess" this year. The judging categories were based on creativity, aesthetic & overall design impact.

We started at the north docks on M/Y Lady Leila showcasing elegant simplicity as their style. Just a few steps away, Kirsty, Chelsea & Nicole from M/Y Carpe Diem II, created a sophisticated Marilyn Monroe affair. Glittering gold & black place cards, deep red carnations and a beautiful white orchid centered on a mirror radiated luxury. On the top deck their “Coconut Pink Lady” cocktail served in pineapples with dragon fruit garnish was awesome!! The outdoor setting was a tropical paradise, with greenery, coconuts, neon flamingos, pineapples and different elevations of colorful flowers offset by wicker chargers and a white bird of paradise napkin fold.

M/Y Excellence’s “Italian Wine Night” entry consisted of luxe candelabras nestled among dozens of wine corks, rustic burlap ribbon, terrariums, & wooden wine boxes, along with some of the best wines in the world. A perfectly folded double flower napkin fold created a pop of color and texture. On the second deck Simone & Pumba, their 2 blue fish mascots take center stage next to a gold and silver decorated top by Gwen, Georgia, Charlotte, Maddie & Madison for a "Chic St.Tropez setting".

M/Y Quite Essential’s delicious “Pacific Blue”, sangria perfectly complemented their nautical centerpiece complete with a blue and white light house, sailboat, starfish and candlelight along with perfectly pressed navy napkins surrounding a lovely white and green floral arrangement. This gorgeous vessel featured many rare and elegant interior details.

“Spring has Sprung” on M/Y Nomadess, their refreshing gin & tonic cocktail infused with cucumber and blueberries featured a rose garnish to harmonize with their decor. For the interior, Tenielle & Kristen added delicate fresh tulips and imaginative hand-painted place cards sporting celebrity names tucked into a red envelope napkin fold making it, a definitely favorite. The chic pastel outdoor spring setting featured a double napkin fold, more creative place cards and a beautiful floral centerpiece. The burlap bows on the chairs were the perfect balance for the delicate baby’s breath flowers to create a French country feel.

M/Y Mine Games featured a fun “Time travel” tablescape indoors complete with puzzle pieces, travel gadgets, maps, a compass, and clocks. The clever menu featured a message in a bottle atop a boat-fold napkin. The upper deck “Mad Hatter Brunch” pulled out all the stops, with clocks and oversized playing cards suspended above the charming centerpiece collection of tea sets. Drunken Gummy Bears begged “Drink Me!!” and offset the glittery Mad Mouthful menu.  Well done Christine, Stephanie & Crystal!

M/Y Just Enough opted for a lovely gold coral and flower centerpiece. Lacy gold placemats and a luxe beaded runner glowed in the candle light. Their simply elegant beverage of choice: champagne with a vibrant orchid garnish.

Exploration vessel M/Y Marcato’s surprisingly luxe white interior was carried thru to the table with a crisp white runner and napkins and glittering candelabra. Wheat fronds and lavender fillers garnished a tantalizing cheese tray. Check out the bread rolls presented in a burlap for a country chic look. Great detail Erin & Kari!

M/Y Rhino’s  look was classic elegance. The stews shared their tip to keep their napkins looking crisp day after day for the boat show and for storing napkins pre-folded for charter. The trick is to wrap the crisply folded napkins in plastic wrap to keep their shape.

Seasoned participants Agnese & Tracey of M/Y BW created a mixture of carnations and candle holders elevations for a timeless appeal. The menu tucked into a white napkin with a simple rosemary twig created an inviting urban chic design style. At the bar, the frozen "Blue Hawaiian” concoction served in a perfect coconut shell and the “Classic Moscow Mule” cocktails were cleverly noted.

And last but not least, Samantha, Raisa & Brittany welcomed us to “M/Y Sovereign’s Spring Fling”. As we reached the top of the stairs you could tell you were in for a treat. This whimsical vintage chic setting was design with no detail left behind. A delicate centerpiece cascading from a wicker overhead ring was draped with chiffon, greenery and soft pink bouquets. The carefully executed centerpiece included birdcages, butterflies, mini lanterns, baskets, antique ornaments, lace and silk fabrics. Burlap ribbons adorned the chairs to complete the design.

Their sweet and sassy cocktail featured raspberry beet juice ice cubes, gin-infused cantaloupe and homemade Tarragon Molasses. Everyone needs to learn how to make this one! Each ice cube is carefully crafted with a raspberry frozen inside. It was YUMMY. To top it off, the stews created their own super cute Sovereign Photo-op Picture Frame with a tray of hair accessories to choose from! What’s in your bag of tricks for this charter season?

Cris, Alene and Julie loved judging your efforts in each of the categories. Thank you, everyone, for all your hard work. If you were not selected as a winner in these categories, remember that every setting earned a Top Notch Tabletop title of Excellence, and you may still win on Facebook! Thank you for sharing your tips and tricks of the trade! And thank you to our sponsors that made all of this possible.

 

The 2 main Luxe Interior and Chic Outdoors categories will be judged on Facebook with the winners receiving the highest number of likes for the photos. Each yacht will have 3 photos per setting. The sum of the likes for the 3 photos will be the total votes per setting. Tell your friends , crew, brokers and family to vote by following the links above. Voting ends Saturday April 7th at Midnight. Winners will be announced April 11th at the Triton Expo at Sails Marina, Fort Lauderdale.